Sephora: another girly post
[photo credit: Oh Sephora! How I Love Thee! by xtinemarie]
I was so inspired by Evelyn's Anthropologie experience post, it brought me back to a not so distant past obsession of mine: Sephora.
Before Sephora existed, I didn't care too much about high end makeup. I wore Clinique because it was supposedly dermatologist approved, but even then, I often waited for the bonuses and substituted alot of drugstore cheap stuff. I was a practical make-up buyer. (is that an oxymoron?)
Then I started hearing the buzz from other women about Sephora. OMG...Sephora is coming to Toronto...rumours...speculation...excited titters. What was Sephora?! I had to know. I convinced a fancy PR friend of mine to wrangle me onto the guestlist of the grand opening.
The first time I entered Sephora, it felt like entering a magical dream land. Rows and rows of makeup with gorgeous packaging. Eyeshadow pallets that looked like trashy old pulp novels. Amazingly illustrated tin packaging that contained a body balm that made your skin 'glow'. Strange and wonderful shampoos and soaps in 'flavours' with 'recipes'. Teeth whitening in elegant compacts I could imagine whipping out after a fancy dinner.
This wasn't makeup. This was a store filled with gorgeous novelties that could strike up conversations between women. Where did you get that? I stood in line for a makeover, then purchased over $200 worth of makeup. I was so excited. I went home and lined up my new pulp novel eyeshadow on my counter proudly. I slipped the GoSmile compact into my evening bag. I strategically placed the Bathina on the ledge of the tub so it would appear that I balm my body after each shower.
God, it felt good. I was so excited. And you know what? It worked. Girlfriends came by and, post washroom visit, we talked about the products...exchanged stories ("I found the lipstick a bit too matte, I would try Chanel instead.") When I went to that dinner, I would pull out my compact and check the teeth and hear, "I loooove GoSmile! Can I have one?" The experience from the store translated beyond and I didn't regret spending that grotesque amount of money on makeup at all.
So, the other day when I complained to Chris that the Sephora website sucks (it does - three clicks? Have to use back buttons? Cookies disappear overnight?), he replied, "Why not just go to drugstore.com."
I stared at him blankly. Um. Because it isn't Sephora. Sephora started a store that is filled with delightful things just for me that connects me with other girly type women and indulges my guilty (but delicious) pleasures. Sephora made me love this stuff. Not drugstore.com. It discounts generic items and looks for volume discounts. Yech. Sephora gives me an experience...even if it's crappy (and online and offline, shopping at Sephora isn't always an 'experience' - it's the delightful things that make Sephora ... um... Sephora).
He thought I was nuts. And I am. Nonetheless, I went back online and ordered my $109 worth of makeup (not the full deal, just some upgrades) and resolved that he just couldn't understand...
...that was...
...until he ordered the monitors...;)
8 Comments:
Actually, I found a store I like even more than Sephora.
I went to the C.O. Bigelow store in downtown Chicago and fell in love. It's like a more refined version of Sephora. Maybe it's their marketing and image, for example, white labcoats at C.O. Bigelow vs. black ones at Sephora.
Anyway, kudos on making the Web 2.0ooooh-yeaaah contest. I think the pic of you with wavy hair bathed in red light was haute and shoulda made the Wag cut, but o well. We're doing a Women 2.0 BBQ & Pool Party next Saturday, I'd love if you'd come with your posse and impress on us yr wisdom (and beauty experiences! oh yes, and always, the plug for TheMintPages - sharing beauty experiences and reviews).
UH another shared passion... not only handbags and PINKO anymore... *s*
Tara, the next time we are both in Paris together we should do the sephora on champs elysees.. it's perfumy and has everything a girl wants... and then it's the hugest store I have been too.
also we should check out the Guerlain store ( the most beautiful renaissance store in paris) afterwards - I love Guerlains products
( then they have gay guys wearing make up and lipstick, but they are having fun and gives fabulous advice in french)
I am madly in love with sephora too... siiigh
Awesome tip!
And thanks for the comment on that shot (although I looked a wee bit drunk there. ;)) I would totally come to the party, but I won't be in town. bummer.
The Mint Pages looks awesome!
Thanks Tara. Glad to be a catalyst! I'll have to check out Sephora, even though I don't wear makeup. I think there is alot to be learnt about EXPERIENCE online from some of the kick-ass retail experiences with equally quality products. I think guys understand this too, they get taken in by the Apples, REIs, Harley Davidsons stores when they are executed well.
One thing that intrigued me about Anthropologie (and it's certainly not their website) is the element of discovery they've built into the shopping experience - I think that a good user interface designer can take off with that nugget. So many Web 2.0 interfaces frankly suck, and do not pull me in, charm me, woo me.
I see that wonderful real-world boutiques, independent designers (i.e. fashion, jewelry, furniture, etc) and artists don't have very good websites, if any at all. Several give me a business card with only their phone and they're not googleable.
It's a real challenge to translate a highly visceral experience online, but I've been very curious how one would approximate it though.
Gosh. This sure would be a great Sutori story . . . ;)
I prefer to just walk into the store. It's just in Union Square.
That's funny - I was just this week thinking about blogging about these two stores & how in spite of how much I love the Sephora in-store experience, I don't like having to deal with attitude from customer service people and other shoppers and mall traffic....SO I was considering drugstore.com -- same product, convenient delivery, no hassle. Now that I'm hooked on certain brands, the distribution channel seems to matter less...but I'm not a drugstore.com convert just yet. I have a love/hate relationship with the mall.
A Sephora opened up here (outside Boulder CO) a short time ago, and when Skyler (my teenage daughter) and I walked in there for the first time, she said, "Oh my god... it's makeup porn."
; )
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